Safety hinge



' J. BONTEM PS SAFE ITY HINGE 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 22

A III V ATTORNEY Jan. 1, 1935.

I Patented Jan. 1, 1935" PATENT OFFICE SAFE'IIFYv HINGE Joseph Bontemps,Richmond Hill Circle, N. Y., as-

signor to Hattie Smith, Brooklyn, Y.

Application October 22, 19 32, No. 639,009

2 Claims. (01. 16-136).

My-invention relates to a hinge construction particularly adapted for.automobile doors and.

which due to its novel assembly and mountin permits of a minimum spacebetween the hinge edge of the door and the body of the car proper,thereby eliminating all danger of persons being injured by having theirfingers crushed on the closing or opening of the door aforesaid.

A further object is to provide a hinge whereby the door is easilyremovable, and also easily remountable, either function being performedwith a minimum of eifort. This is, of course true, only after one of thehinges has been removed.

Other objects will appear from a consideration of the detail ofconstruction of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shows a section of an automobilehaving a door which is supported by and swings on a hinge that bearsupon members 8, 9 at the lower part of the door and on members 10, 11 atthe upper part thereof.

Fig. 2 is an exposed sectional view of a single solid ball bearing hingeand its associated parts.

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view on a line 33 of Fig. 2. This figureexposes 'the ball in its bearing, and also shows the door in a partlyopen position, the latter designated in broken lines.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of an automobile sectionally exposed showingin. detail the upper and lower members of the safetydoor hinge.

Fig.5 is a view on a line 5-5 of Fig. 4 showing a section of the cardoor in an open position.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section view of a thrust ball bearing type swinginghinge bearing on a line 6--6 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 7 is a detailed cross-section of a hinge assembly showing a thrustbearing housingwith a pin projecting through a bushing which holds theroller thrust bearing in place.

Referring specifically to the'drawings. The frame of the door 2 consistsof a door jamb 3 and horizontal frame bracings 4, 5 and 6, (Fig. 4).On-the vertical door jamb 3 are fastened inverted L-shaped hinge members9 and 11 by means of screws 43 which arescrewed into bushings 14 and 15that serve to give substantialsupport to the structure just described.The hinge members 9 and 11 have a curved surface relation with eachother at their contacting surfaces to conform to the curvature of theedge surface of the door jamb 3 and the hinging edge of the door 2. Thisis clearly illustrated in Fig. 6.

, The hinge members 8 and 10 are likewise L-shaped and are similarlycurved at their bearing surfaces and are secured to the car body 1 bymeans of screws 43 which are screwed into member 11.

bushings 16 and 17 on the frame 7. Mounted at the lower portion of thedoor 2 between the hinge members 8 and 9 is a thrust bearing housing intwo sections 21, 22, in which the .balls 23 are set in equidistantpositions. The housing maybe a r 5 standard thrust bearing type commonlyemployed for shaft bearings or the like.

The hinge member 8 has a bushing 25 through which a pin 26 projects. Thebushing projects through the thrust bearing 21, 22 and into hinge 10member 8. The bushing 25 is further held by a collar 24. The pinprojecting through the-thrust bearing assembly as shown serves as asafety factorin maintaining a coacting relation of the ringe members 8and 9 as well as to ensure 15 smoothness and ease in opening and closingthe door 1.

The upper hinge bearing is similar in construction to that describingthe lower hinge.

The part 27 in Fig. 5 is a metallic covering placed" over the innerexposed portions of the hinge members 8, '9 and 10. 11. This coveringforms an added protection at such times when the car door is opened. Themembers 28 are screws that fasten the covering 27 to the car door.

In the event it is desired to remove the door 2 from the car body, thescrews 28 seen in Fig. 5 are unscrewed after which the covering 27 isremoved from the door hinge member 11 which 30 is then exposed as seenin Fig. 4. The screws 43 are then unscrewed from their companionbushings 15. This enables the removal of the hinge After the operationdescribed is performed it is possible to lift up the door and with itthe hinge member 9 clear of the hinge member 8 adjacent thereto at thelower portion 1 of the door. The operation described can be readilyperformed by one man without undue strain on the door or the hingesthereof.

Referring to Fig. 2, this figure illustrates sectionally a modificationof the hinge bearing utilizing a single solid ball bearing hingearrangement, the ball being shown at 32 fitted into suitable socketbearings in each of the upper and lower members 33 and 34. The member 34is secured to the bar body.

Fig. 2 particularly illustrates an assembly of the lower portion of thehinge. Reference character 35 represents the outencovering of the carbody. and 36 the outer covering of the door. Reference characters 37 and38 designate screw casings for holding screws 39 which secure the hingemember 34 to the car body. a

In Fig. 3, 41 represents the'in'side door coverfasten the partition 12to the hinge member 8.

The wood screwsindicated by 20 are provided to secure the portion 12 inthe proper position.

The close hinge relation of the door and thecar body is best seen inFig. 6 which illustrates the movement of the door on its axis at 26 andthe relation of the shell 12 of the car body and that of the metal outersection 13 of the door.

The close relationof the car body and the door thereof shown in Fig. 6,as already stated is maintained the entire length: of the door-with theexception, perhaps, of the extreme bottom section ofthe car door whichhasan outward curved conformation in accord with the design of the carbody."

It will thus be seen because of the curved relation of the two bearingsurfaces of one hinge attached to the convex edged surface of the doorjamb and the companion hinge member thereof attached to the concavehinging edge of the door, that the hinging area of the door whichincludes the entire space between the upper and lower pairs of hingemembers will remain constantly flush with respect to their coincidentareas regardless of the position of the door, whether opened or closed;and that there are no projections, depressions or openings between thedoor and that portion 01' the car body that supports the. door and thehinges thereof in the entire hinging door edge area that might cause anobject such as a person's fingers to be enmeshed in the space aforesaid.1

What I claim is,

1. In a concealed hinge of the character described, a pair of invertedL-shaped hinge plates adapted to be secured to a door and jambrespectively, said plates having their leg portions arranged insuperposed relationship with their stems opposed and spaced 9. distancesubstantially the length of the leg portions; the latter having recessesformed in the adJacent opposed portions thereof, an apertured bearinghaving a ballreceiving groove mounted in each recess, a a

pivot pin having a bushing, a collar secured to the bushing, said collarpositioned within an aperture of one of the bearings with the pinprojecting through the apertures of both bearings, and a protectivecover for said hinge plates. 4

2. In a hinge of the character described, a pair of inverted L-shapedhinge plates, said plates,

having their leg portions arranged in superposed relationship with theirstems opposed and spaced a distance corresponding substantially to thelength of a leg portion, each of the latter having a recess, anapertured, grooved bearing mounted therein, balls in said groove, apivot pin extending through the recesses, said plates arranged to becovered by a protective member.

JOSEPH BONTEMPS.

